Crafty Chica's Art de la Soul: Glittery Ideas to Liven Up Your Life

Kathy Cano Murillo, the author of Crafty Chica's Art de la Soul, Glittery Ideas to Liven Up Your Life, has delighted me with her craft book. I don't normally get all excited about making purses out of 50 cent hardbacks (That cool project is called "Hardback Book Purse" and is fabulous!), nor do I relate to holidays such as Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), which I find slightly scary. However, with Kathy as my guide, I understand that this tradition of honoring the dead is similar to the manner in which we honor our ancestors no matter what our ethnic background. After reading what she wrote, I opened my mind and learned what I had never understood before about this holiday, and now I find it compelling and fascinating. Not only am I willing to learn about a culture which is different from mine, I am totally charmed by this craft book. When I first started reading it, I began giving my husband orders: "Jim: PLEASE go get me a balsa wood box! Please get me a roll of silver embossing tin! I want a knob! A really cool one! Please!(my husband is a builder). Yes, my first project was "The Empowerent Box". I particularly liked this project because it is beautiful and because you store your favorite quotes in it. You hand write them out, place them in it, and keep it next to your bed. I have several favorite quotes. One is "Hope is the thing wth feathers." As a parent with disabled children, I never give up hope. Another is "The buck stops here". Do you have any favorite quotes? A keepsake box, made by you, is such a lovely place to keep treasured words which mean something special to you. Kathy Cano Murillo is quite an amazing person. Not only does she set you aflame with desire to create her projects, with your paintbrush flying and your glitter shooting sparks all over the place, she writes fun stories. Some are about mishaps she has endured (read the Chocolate incident and you will relate totally!), and some are touching stories about her family. It's a lovely combination: you get projects like "The Mighty Mosaic Address Sign", with has cool marbles and loteria playing cards decorating it, you get tales, suggestions on movies with crafty aspects to them, (this is cool--trust me), fun tips on how to take each project to the next level, and a style of writing which engages you from the first page. I am not Hispanic, but because of Kathy Cano Murillo, I have a high respect for the family values, the hard work, the humor, the love, and the creativity she offers, here in this book, as an unofficial ambassador for the Hispanic people. She should be very proud of this book. It is superfun and cool. Other than the projects I already mentioned, several of my other favorite projects are: "Wonderfully Worn Flower Fence", ALL the "Potions for Passion" (and why not!), and the "Love Letters Pocketbook". That one is really pretty. I think this author is one in a million. Try this book and you will soar--she will be the wind beneath your wings! A great a

This book ROCKS! Its super colorful and funky. Mexican pop culture craft projects that are as fun to look at as they are to make. Really good for kids or a night with the girls. If you are looking for a different and inspiring kind of craft book, this is it!! Awesome!!!

This book inspired me to take out my potential crafts and get over my fear of making my ideas tangible. From cover to cover, you'll find great projects, as well as entertaining and inspiring anecdotes from the author herself. I can't wait to buy the next book! (FYI, I use Cano Murillo's Crafty Diva books to inspire my daughters to exercise their creativity and grow into crafters.)

and I bought this book anyway and I'm glad I did. My wife and I took a vacation in Mexico last summer and we've been trying to think of what to do with all the souvenirs. This book has so many ideas like the shadowbox table, which we plan to make. The only reason we haven't is because we can't stop looking at the pictures and reading the memoir pieces. I never realized crafting could be so purposeful and meaningful, the author really expresses that in her writing. So maybe I'll become a crafter afterall...

You cannot help but become inspired after reading through this book - OFTEN! I always love any idea Kathy has and the entire book of bright, fun ideas feeds my soul! I cannot see glitter without thinking about this wonderful crafty artist and author. Gracias!